Before T-Mobile’s iPhone launch, existing users can get LTE, MMS support

If you can't wait and your iPhone 5 is jailbroken, you can enable it right now.

The nearly two million iPhone-on-T-Mobile users—who are with the carrier before it even officially offers the device—are in luck today. T-Mobile announced a “minor iOS software update” that will be pushed over-the-air, bringing LTE, Visual Voicemail support, and other new features. Those with an unlocked iPhone 5 can pick up a T-Mobile SIM card and sign up for service right now, even though the company’s official iPhone 5 won’t drop until April 12. (T-Mobile holds the infamous distinction of being the last of the big four US carriers to come to Apple's device.)

According to TmoNews, the new software update will be released in just 72 hours on April 5.

“The T-Mobile Carrier Update is a minor iOS software update that enables official iPhone support by T-Mobile. When installed, the software update enables a handful of capabilities like Visual Voicemail, MMS Settings, and Network/Device optimizations that customers do not have access to today. On April 5, the software update will begin being pushed via OTA to all iPhone devices on the T-Mobile network with iOS 6.1.x or higher.”

Last week, the same site outlined instructions for jailbroken iPhone users to enable LTE if they’re impatient and can’t wait three more days.

Promoted Comments

I thought we just heard that if you had an existing iPhone 5, it was not compatible with the bands T-Mobile was using for LTE? Can somebody help me understand?

I had the same confusion. What I read claimed that since T-Mobile uses AWS for LTE, existing AT&T iPhones wouldn't work without a hardware update. Earlier articles specifically said that a software update would not be enough.

It turns out that this was incorrect. Here's an article that does a great job of breaking it down:

Basically, an unlocked AT&T iPhone 5 will be able to use T-Mobile's LTE service with no problems. It will not be able to use the HSPA+ ("4G") networks that use AWS, however. Some markets have that and some don't. The T-Mobile version of the iPhone 5 will support everything.

I thought we just heard that if you had an existing iPhone 5, it was not compatible with the bands T-Mobile was using for LTE? Can somebody help me understand?

At&t iphone5s had a firmware level block on operating on Tmob LTE frequencies, this software patch removes that block

If that is really true Apple should be shot. Sure they may make some extra money by milking AT&T and Verizon with semi exclusive contracts but they shouldn't be surprised if people switch to Android and never come back. You should try to reach as many people as possible otherwise somebody else will eat your lunch sooner or later. (Samsung)

I am a bit bitter because I would have loved an iPhone5 but unfortunately Windmobile the only non sucking provider in Canada didn't work with it. And now you tell me its no technical restriction in the phone but a firmware block? Screw you Apple. I like my S3 but I am wondering how many people Apple lost because they did this stupid game of artificially restricting their phones to some providers.

I thought we just heard that if you had an existing iPhone 5, it was not compatible with the bands T-Mobile was using for LTE? Can somebody help me understand?

At&t iphone5s had a firmware level block on operating on Tmob LTE frequencies, this software patch removes that block

If that is really true Apple should be shot. Sure they may make some extra money by milking AT&T and Verizon with semi exclusive contracts but they shouldn't be surprised if people switch to Android and never come back. You should try to reach as many people as possible otherwise somebody else will eat your lunch sooner or later. (Samsung)

I am a bit bitter because I would have loved an iPhone5 but unfortunately Windmobile the only non sucking provider in Canada didn't work with it. And now you tell me its no technical restriction in the phone but a firmware block? Screw you Apple. I like my S3 but I am wondering how many people Apple lost because they did this stupid game of artificially restricting their phones to some providers.

The irony of this post, is that the comments in the link state that the T-Mobile version of the S3 doesn't support LTE at all:

I thought we just heard that if you had an existing iPhone 5, it was not compatible with the bands T-Mobile was using for LTE? Can somebody help me understand?

I had the same confusion. What I read claimed that since T-Mobile uses AWS for LTE, existing AT&T iPhones wouldn't work without a hardware update. Earlier articles specifically said that a software update would not be enough.

It turns out that this was incorrect. Here's an article that does a great job of breaking it down:

Basically, an unlocked AT&T iPhone 5 will be able to use T-Mobile's LTE service with no problems. It will not be able to use the HSPA+ ("4G") networks that use AWS, however. Some markets have that and some don't. The T-Mobile version of the iPhone 5 will support everything.

I thought we just heard that if you had an existing iPhone 5, it was not compatible with the bands T-Mobile was using for LTE? Can somebody help me understand?

At&t iphone5s had a firmware level block on operating on Tmob LTE frequencies, this software patch removes that block

If that is really true Apple should be shot. Sure they may make some extra money by milking AT&T and Verizon with semi exclusive contracts but they shouldn't be surprised if people switch to Android and never come back. You should try to reach as many people as possible otherwise somebody else will eat your lunch sooner or later. (Samsung)

I am a bit bitter because I would have loved an iPhone5 but unfortunately Windmobile the only non sucking provider in Canada didn't work with it. And now you tell me its no technical restriction in the phone but a firmware block? Screw you Apple. I like my S3 but I am wondering how many people Apple lost because they did this stupid game of artificially restricting their phones to some providers.

The irony of this post, is that the comments in the link state that the T-Mobile version of the S3 doesn't support LTE at all:

But the iPhone version didn't do HSPA as well. In the end I do not care about the connection as long as its a couple megabit/s. And until now the iPhone would only give you 3G. But I might be wrong this gets so confusing. Phone services in Northern America suck.

Nitpick, the sub header suggests your iPhone needs to be jailbroken. As far as I can see that is incorrect, it just needs to be unlocked (as in not tied in exclusively to another carrier than T-Mobile).

I thought we just heard that if you had an existing iPhone 5, it was not compatible with the bands T-Mobile was using for LTE? Can somebody help me understand?

I had the same confusion. What I read claimed that since T-Mobile uses AWS for LTE, existing AT&T iPhones wouldn't work without a hardware update. Earlier articles specifically said that a software update would not be enough.

It turns out that this was incorrect. Here's an article that does a great job of breaking it down:

Basically, an unlocked AT&T iPhone 5 will be able to use T-Mobile's LTE service with no problems. It will not be able to use the HSPA+ ("4G") networks that use AWS, however. Some markets have that and some don't. The T-Mobile version of the iPhone 5 will support everything.

Ah Thanks so much for the summary. In the end you better get a T-Mobile version. HSPA+ will be available more widely than LTE at the moment. So I take back part of my Apple rant. Although it damn well took them long enough. And I still maintain loosing out to Samsung serves them well for playing this stupid Carrier restriction game. It may have made them lots of money but in the end you need to pay for it.

Ah Thanks so much for the summary. In the end you better get a T-Mobile version. HSPA+ will be available more widely than LTE at the moment. So I take back part of my Apple rant. Although it damn well took them long enough. And I still maintain loosing out to Samsung serves them well for playing this stupid Carrier restriction game. It may have made them lots of money but in the end you need to pay for it.

It wasn't that Apple wanted to leave T-Mo out of the game, I think it came down to Apple not wanting to build a T-Mobile only version of the iPhone, because it would be a low-volume device. Up until the iPhone 5 that would have been a requirement because of the limited number of cellular bands (PCS, AWS, etc) one phone can send and receive on.

Now that we have the iPhone 5, it was technically possible for an iPhone 5 to run on T-Mobile's existing and future network. It then came down to contract negotiations, which are now done. T-Mo probably realized it needed to beef up its network anyways and make it similar to AT&T's network (3G on PCS, LTE on AWS) to get sufficient economies of scale to improve device selection and availability.

Nitpick, the sub header suggests your iPhone needs to be jailbroken. As far as I can see that is incorrect, it just needs to be unlocked (as in not tied in exclusively to another carrier than T-Mobile).

I'd suggest replacing the word 'jailbroken' with 'unlocked'.

As I understand it, you have to be jailbroken to use the LTE benefit now (via Cydia). But, in order to run on T-Mob now anyway you already have to be unlocked, you're right.

I thought we just heard that if you had an existing iPhone 5, it was not compatible with the bands T-Mobile was using for LTE? Can somebody help me understand?

I had the same confusion. What I read claimed that since T-Mobile uses AWS for LTE, existing AT&T iPhones wouldn't work without a hardware update. Earlier articles specifically said that a software update would not be enough.

It turns out that this was incorrect. Here's an article that does a great job of breaking it down:

Basically, an unlocked AT&T iPhone 5 will be able to use T-Mobile's LTE service with no problems. It will not be able to use the HSPA+ ("4G") networks that use AWS, however. Some markets have that and some don't. The T-Mobile version of the iPhone 5 will support everything.

This is basically what I've commented on Ars' article when the news broke: